Practicing in the dome Saturday due to the wet field, newcomers were among the standouts of day two of bowl practice.
Head coach Todd Graham has been emphasizing defense these last couple days and throughout the season. Freshman defensive back DeAndre Scott made a huge hit at the beginning of practice, forcing an incompletion and leaving a receiver sprawled on the indoor turf. At the end, freshman Jalen Harvey had another remarkable tackle.
Harvey is primarily a receiver but has been inserted as spur backer at times throughout the season.
“He’s a guy that’s a very physical player, he’s explosive,” Graham said.
On one of the final plays of the offense-defense drill, he found an opening on the left side of the offensive line. Untouched, he raced toward freshman quarterback Manny Wilkins. Harvey unloaded with a crack.
“We’re taking a look at him (on defense),” Graham said. “That’s not to say he won’t play receiver. We haven’t decided that yet but we’re taking a look at him right now as a strong safety.”
On the offensive side, two athletes who do not receive much in-game time made some terrific plays, starting with freshman running back De’Chavon Hayes. A player with bursts of speed, he broke free on a deep route. Wilkins hit his back shoulder for a completion of about 40 yards.
Later in practice, he broke free again. Glancing up, a blur of No. 1 was spotted outstripping the defense and he ran into the end zone.
“We call him Gump,” Graham said. “He has been very, very impressive."
Walk-on freshman running back Jacom Brimhall has not seen much time either, but he is an electric player listed at 5-foot-6. He broke free for a touchdown run and with a shout of “Danny Woodhead!” from the sidelines, Brimhall made a late burst of speed to pull away from defenders.
Later, he made a short catch and broke through defenders to gain a few extra yards. That Woodhead comparison isn’t inaccurate. He’s short, energetic and can make plays.
It may be hard for him to find time on the team, though. Freshman running back Kalen Ballage has shown promise, and today broke through on a few runs for big gains. Freshman running back Demario Richard has shown potential late in the season. Richard averaged 5.7 yards per carry in the regular season.
Banquet
The freshmen show promise, but tonight is about honoring the seniors at a team banquet. There are 11 total on the team, and the most notable are quarterback Taylor Kelly and offensive lineman Jamil Douglas. They are both Senior CLASS Award candidates, making ASU the only football team in the nation to have two.
Kelly is one of the 10 finalists that fans can vote for. Voting ends Dec. 15.
Graham said Kelly and Douglas are the leaders of the team, and signified Kelly as the main piece.
“28 years of coaching, he’s the finest human being I’ve ever coached,” he said. “All he does is give everything he’s got... I think Jamil is a great leader too, but Taylor is the leader of the football team.”
Practice notes
Redshirt junior wide receiver Jaelen Strong and junior running back D.J. Foster both donned limited-contact gold jerseys. Graham confirmed that it was just precautionary, and Foster said they had to be careful and smart after a season full of bruises and beatings.
Redshirt junior satefy Jordan Simone was a full participant but he too wore the limited-contact jersey.
“It’s tough just because I want to hit and I want to do my thing but I’ve got to be smart,” he said. “Being smart means no hitting so I’ve got to listen to the people that got me here.”
Redshirt senior defensive lineman Paul Crawford and redshirt junior linebacker Eriquel Florence are suspended from the team for “not meeting team standard(s).” Graham said they will not be at the Sun Bowl.
Reach the reporter at logan.newman@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @Logan_Newsman
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